Mirage
by VioletPaperFlowers
Summary: Makoto Tachibana is a firefighter. One day, he rescues a stranger with blue eyes, and can't seem to get him out of his head. Little did he know he would meet that stranger again...but as a merman? MakoxHaru
1. First Encounter

**Hello, guys! :D It's been a looooong while since I have updated anything. Hehe, sorry about that, and so as a gift, I give you this. Hope you enjoy!**

 **-Violet**

 **MxH**

The sound of sirens could be heard from a distant; the smell of smoke, and the feel of smothering heat, suffocating the area as the building got swallowed by flames.

Just as the fire had reached its peek, the fire truck quickly came to a stop in front of it, and out came Firefighter Makoto Tachibana.

"Hurry, put it out!" He was quick to take in the situation and act in the aid of others.

"Tachibana," one of his colleagues went up to him. "There is still a person inside the building in the fourth floor."

"Tsk," Makoto clicked his tongue, as the flames showed no sign of stopping any time soon despite their efforts to control it.

"I'll go in," he decided, getting his gear ready in order to confront the raging flames.

"We'll send help as soon as more arrive." That and with a pat on the back, Makoto dove into the ignited building.

Once inside, Makoto frantically searched for the emergency stairs and began to run as fast as his legs could take him.

Smoke.

He ran up passed the first floor, barely being able to see two feet in front of him.

Fire.

Within seconds of entering, his mouth grew dry, and sudden thirst attacked him.

Ashes.

Small flecks of fire attached his vision, burning his eyes, and scraping his skin.

Makoto arrived at the desired floor, not letting his aching muscles and natural instinct to escape win him.

"Is there anybody—" He coughed despite his attempts to breathe in the thick smoke covered him from head to toe.

"Is there—!" He screamed but this time as cut off by the sound of wood falling from the ceiling…right above him. In one swift motion he jumped out of the way, and leaped right into the next room.

There, he heard the sound of footsteps.

"Hello!" He called out, pushing his way deeper in. And then he made out the silhouette of a person, maybe male, but, at that point, Makoto's vision was too blurry to make sure. All he knew for sure was that there was a person stuck in the fire, and that he should save them. Fast.

"Wait right there! I'll come get you!" Makoto kept yelling over the _cracking_ of the building falling apart.

The person was not far from him, if only he could get there fast enough before the top floors came tumbling upon them.

Just when the brunette thought he had finally reached the other person, to his horror, he heard a _crack!_

Everything happened in slow motion.

The roof coming down. Makoto screaming to watch out. The other person looking up in horror.

In a flash, Makoto charged towards the other person, shoving them away from the falling piece. Their bodies went tumbling to the other side, away from the hotter side of the room.

"Are you…?" Makoto's words died out in his lips when the person he had just saved turned towards him.

Blue eyes. Crystal blue orbs that reflected the calm waters of the ocean. Glistering gems that sparkled like the moon.

A sudden burst of heat snapped Makoto out of his staring and reality hit. Right. He was in a burning building, and he was to help a person on the fourth floor. That was his mission.

"Come on, this way!" He suddenly returned to his regular caring helpful self, and directed the other male to a safer part of the floor. He noted that his companion was being silent. Too silent.

Shrugging it off as temporary shock, he led him along until he heard a voice.

"Tachibana-saaaaann!" The backup team had finally arrived. Makoto quickly led the silent stranger towards the ladder that would lead them both to safety.

"You go first," Makoto instructed the other male. Just when he himself was going to safely leave the burning building, there was another _crack_. This time, a much bigger chunk of the side of the building was coming down. Hard.

But the impact never came. Just when Makoto was sure that they were going to collide, his silent stranger, now his silent helper, pulled him towards the ladder, but in the process making them fall forward.

The next few moments passed in a daze.

Smoke, fire, ashes.

Sirens, talking, yelling.

But all that Makoto Tachibana could remember were a pair of blue eyes. Eyes that had pierced into his very soul…

 **MxH**

 **Well, that is all! I know it's short but it will get better, I promise! ^.^ Anyways, until next time! Do remember to review! :D**

 **-Violet**


	2. Merman

**Hello, there! This is my second update (not for this story but for another one) and so I'm feeling a little exhausted. Too bad it's on Wednesday and not Friday (or Saturday). Well, hope you enjoy!**

 **-Violet**

Makoto walked, dragging his feet across the wooden floor to his room, where he lumped onto his bed and released a sigh of relief upon getting some blissful rest. Still with his uniform on, he gazed up at the ceiling, once again recalling a pair of blue eyes.

It had been a month since the incident with the nameless stranger with blue eyes. A month since he had saved his life, risking his own.

A month now that he had been unable to forget him.

There had been something... _special_ about the character that had intrigued him since he first laid eyes on him. Sure, the circumstances at which they had met had not been the best but yet Makoto couldn't help the yearning that he felt then and now as he remembered the stranger's beautiful features.

He sighed, rolling onto his side and hugging his pillow close to his chest.

For some odd reason he had yet to decipher, since that fateful encounter, Makoto had a sudden burst of loneliness. Never had he acknowledged that emotion before; he would bury himself in work and on taking care of his younger siblings and family as a mean of distraction.

But no, this wasn't as simple as that. For once, the green-eyed brunette admitted to himself what he had been denying: he longed for another person. Longed to be held and to be cherished. Though these thoughts were that of a naïve teenager, there was no helping the sudden emergence of these emotions. But what was even more baffling than that was the fact that a mere stranger, one he hadn't even got a name from was the one that had awoken this inside of him.

He rolled over, again, onto his tummy, and welcomed sleep with thoughts of loneliness and longing still fresh on his mind.

(ღ˘⌣˘ღ)

Makoto walked down the dark streets, carrying bags filled with groceries. Due to his work, the only time available to do _any_ sort of shopping would be at nighttime, and sometimes even then it was impossible do so.

Today, being one of those lucky days, the green-eyes firefighter continued his way home, all the while pondering what his meal should consist of. He lived alone with his cat and so his meals were usually simple dishes.

That day, though, he was in a brighter mood than other days, as if something marvelous would happen...Not that going to the groceries in the dark was an amazing event, but it was still lovely.

Then, Makoto recalled a pair of blue eyes for the gazillions time. Looking up at the night sky, it was almost possible to wish upon an encounter with the stranger that occupied his mind.

The night sky was glittered with twinkling stars that shone like diamonds (A/N: Pun NOT intended, freaking hate that stupid song :/). A nice breeze ruffled his brown hair, making him close his eyes in pleasure. Nights like these sure so peaceful...so quiet; like nothing could go wrong.

No longer had the thought formed in his head did a car abstractly stop in front of him. The tired screeched on the pavement.

"Wha-" He was cut off as two pair of arms reached out towards him, covering his mouth and shoving him in the car without a single word. The car drove disappeared faster than it had appeared, bags left on the sidewalk were the only evidence that anything had happened in this quiet, peaceful night.

(ﾟロﾟ) !

In a dark room in the middle of nowhere, a man was trapped behind a glass. His merman tail flapped back and forth as he observed the silence and darkness of the room. Or what was usually a silent room.

There was racked, noise, _humans,_ everywhere, annoying him to not extent. He just wanted to be left alone, in the warm of the water, and the comfort of his tank. But his personal fantasizing was interrupted by a group of men that barged in.

"Sorry, for the interruption, my lord, but we have accomplished our task." The human male bowed his head towards the merman, who flapped his fin in annoyance.

"About time," he replied, "I was getting tired of waiting. Bring him to me." A man, probably double the size as the merman, was brought forth, hands tied behind his back, and mouth gagged.

"Hmph. Mmmf." The bigger man struggled against his bindings, but in vain, as they didn't give away.

The raven-haired merman flicked his wrist. Instantly, the man who had addressed him took off the blindfold on the fireman's eyes.

Brown eyes met blue ones.

The merman smiled. "We meet again." Recognition dawned in the Makoto's eyes as he realized who he was.

The man he was staring at was unlike one he had ever seen before. With jet-black hair and pale skin that reflected the water he was surrounded in. A single fin covered him from waist down, scales shimmering in the low lighting of the room.

But his eyes were unmistakable; he was the man Makoto had saved from the fire weeks back. But why was he there? Had he been kidnapped as well?

"Leave." That single word made half the dozen men who were in the room disperse, leaving the two alone.

Makoto grew confused, and terror settled in slowly.

The merman's mouth twitch in a mockery of a smile, "I'm Haru, and you are my prisoner now."

 **Well that is all for now, until next time! Don't forget to review ^.^ (or not...)**

 **-Violet**


	3. Enigma

**Hello there! I'm happy to be able to update at last! :) Don't worry, at last, there are more MakoHaru moments in this chapter! They will increase in the near future ;) Hope you enjoy!**

 **-Violet**

The days blurred together after a while. Makoto began to lose count of how many minutes, hours, and days went by. No matter how hard he tried, everything just went by in a blur of voices and sounds.

He was kept in a dark room with a single bed. The only times he was able to see light was when he was allowed to go to the bathroom to shower and do his business. Surprisingly, for a "captor" he was treated fairly. He was given food and water every two hours; nobody ever tried to harm him. Heck, whenever anyone went into the room, they were the ones that looked scared out of their minds, as if he was the one that should be feared and not the other way around.

Makoto thought of why they were so...nice to him, even though it was clear that he was a prisoner. But besides the fact that he was in a room, there was nothing else that suggested so. If he were to ask to take a walk, he was pretty sure he would be allowed. There were times when he was tempted to try out his theory but fear of the consequences stopped him from trying.

But the biggest mystery of all was Haru. His captor.

Apart from when he first arrived, Makoto hadn't seen the merman at all. He even mustered up the courage to ask his guard where he was. The answer always varied: "He's busy." "He's out." "He doesn't want to be disturbed."

Every time Makoto received such an answer he wondered the whole point of being imprisoned. He felt like some kind of hamster in the four walls he was always in. And he hated it.

One day, though, after he had just woken up, there was the sound of jingling keys, and then the door opened. Haru stepped into the room, and without a word, the door was closed behind him.

"Come with me," the merman, now human, said, blue eyes dazzling in the low light of the room. "I'm taking you somewhere."

Makoto couldn't help himself as the door was opened once again, and walked through it.

(*'▽'*)

He breathed in the air of outside, glad to feel the sun on his skin.

Haru, his captor, stared from afar in wonder as Makoto strolled back and forth in a meadow of flowers.

Since he had taken him in, Makoto smiled. He was grateful for the chance to be taken out, but there was somewhere else he wished to go to.

Haru stared blankly at him as the fireman approached him. Once he was in front of him, Makoto bowed his head.

"I have a request." The corner of Haru's mouth twitched, finding it amusing and amazing that he had gathered the guts to speak to him.

"What is it?"

Makoto raised his head, green eyes flashing as he stared at his.

"The ocean." Haru's ghost of a smile vanished.

"No," he said coldly.

Makoto flinched at his tone, never have heard it before, not even when he was first kidnapped.

"It's just..." Makoto lowered his eyes, sadness and longing evident in them. "I used to always go every weekend to the ocean and swim. I used to be in the swim team back in high school, so it's very precious to me that I can swim. Please." Makoto fell to his knees. "Let me go. Just once a month is fine! I just want to be able to swim again."

For the first time Haru could remember, his heart squeezed. His chest hurt at seeing Makoto so vulnerable and lonely. But a part of him was glad. Makoto had yearnings that were just as strong as his own.

Haru turned around, and motioned for him to follow him back.

They went back in silence, and Makoto found it strange that there weren't guards around.

Now in the daylight, Makoto could see where they were headed. It was a building that resembled a warehouse, with worn out walls and broken windows.

 _So this is where I've been_ , Makoto thought, taking in his surroundings for the first time. Yet, the more he saw, the less he was sure where they were.

Once inside, Haru's almost nonchalant behavior, changed into something cold. His expression became blank once again, his eyes as cold as ice, and his demeanor became quiet but powerful all at once.

That was when the guards came and led Makoto to the room he had been in for the past days, weeks, months...

Haru went in with him to his room. Not saying anything, just staring as Makoto sat down in his bed. Makoto couldn't help feel a certain tension in the room as they connected eyes; a surge of energy suddenly found its way to him, as if simply staring at Haru's eyes had electrocuted him.

He became highly aware of how small the room was, of how the door was closed behind him, of his beautiful pale skin that seemed to glow, of his eyes that pierced into his soul.

Without warning, Haru stepped closer to him, his expression softer than before, but not as open as it had been in the meadow.

Suddenly, they were no more than a few inches away, their breathes mingling together as they many aimed eyes contact.

Makoto searched Haru's face, a tingle of confusion evident in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" The fireman dared speak and break the silence that consumed them besides the fast beating of their hearts.

Haru blinked as it coming out of a trance and stepped back, his expression becoming closed and hard to read.

The merman knocked on the door twice, and it opened almost immediately.

But, instead of stepping outside, Haru paused for a second, and murmured; "We'll go to the ocean next time."

And with that he was gone.

 **Well, that is all for now! Review and follow as you please! Until next time! (^.^)/**

 **-Violet**


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